Ming gazed at Dojo questioningly:
"Who smiled?"
Dojo replied,
"I listen to a story a few days ago. Somebody said the Lord of the Demon Mountain has died.
Ming asked,
"So what's that for?"
Dojo answered,
"Wait, let me finish. He died yes but the man said his daughter inherited the Demon Throne."
Ming grinned with an evil glint in his eye,
"How old is she?"
"I think she's like 10," Dojo said.
"Interesting… Well what do you want me to do?" Ming asked.
"You stay here and guard Wong. I'll go there," Ming ordered.
Dojo warned,
"That won't be easy for you."
Ming smiled,
"It's easy to do … but I do have one question."
"What is it?" Dojo asked.
"How do you know all this?"
Dojo said,
"It's simple. That man steps into the open for one Saturday a month. I heard the tale in a tavern. When I went there to see it, it was destroyed, the targeted corpses were burned.
Ming replied coldly,
"I destroyed it myself."
"Where is the mountain?"
"In the southwest. Six days on foot," Dojo said.
Ming left the cave. With a glare towards Dojo so fierce it felt like the gates of eternal hell had released hell upon the living world. He turned away, and stepped into darkness. On the sixth day he came to the gate of Demon Mountain,
A guard mocked him,
"And just where do you think you're headed, wee one?"
Inside the palace of Guan Yang, Yang was sitting, a guard's head at his feet.
His brother entered,
"Brother Yang, smoked you so badly, what's the point of getting angry?
"Of course I'm angry. It's been 16 days, And there is still no trace of Ming or Wong," Yang groused.
"Calm down," said Roreng.
"Uncle Sang is coming. He's at Ying level — a whole realm stronger than Ming."
Yang smiled slightly.
Back to Ming. He gazed so fiercely upon the guard that the guard allowed him to go through.
At sunrise Ming got to an inn, and threw himself down.
The waiter approached,
"Need a room, sir?"
"Yes. Two nights."
Then a guard called out:
"By Queen Lin's decree!
In five days begins a tournament to select the next king!
Everyone cheered. Fathers boasted of their sons.
A noble laughed mockingly,
"Keep dreaming peasants."
He turned and walked on, looking back to see Ming still gazing after him, whispering,
"When I'm lord of the mountain, you'll be the first to kneel.
Some were discouraged,
"Shuan might be right...but we'll try
Ming said,
"Shuan will be my breakfast."
For the 5 days leading up to the competition he meditated in his room.
He walked to the arena. A judge announced,
"Queen Lin has arrived!"
Everyone stood. Ming stared at her and mused,
"She's beautiful... like a moon ice night, a frozen dragon."
Queen Lin declared,
"The competition begins now!
Five Ordeals: poetry, literature, philosophy, painting and combat!"
Everyone got excited.
The poetry round began. Shuan stood first,
"Stars weep for your beauty, skies laugh at your loveliness..."
The audience clapped, but Lin was unfazed.
Then came Ming. He was tall, confident, with deep black eyes and said,
"The sky's eyes are upon you, your red hair burns in me, your white smile cools my fire... Oh hellfire don't touch me, you're not mine...Heaven was instructed in beauty by
you."
Everyone was stunned. They clapped loudly.
Shuan grew angry. Half the contestants gave up.
The literature round started. Every man had to lay a ceremonial cup at the feet of the queen.
Shuan gave her one cup. She drank.
Ming handed her two — one for her, one for him.
She drank, and she invited him to drink.
The people around me were surprised, but they saw her smile,
"I liked that. It's that you aren't going to leave me in my hour of need."
And then came the philosophy round.
The issue: Is every good for sale?
Shuan answered,
"If it can't, then it's wasted."
Ming said,
"Money can't buy love, loyalty, family, or friendship," the mafia boss panted, looking at the slave and at the hands of the man falling to his knees beside him. The other 96 things? Money rules.
Money is power. Without it, power is an ocean devoid of fish, a cave without a dragon.'
Everyone applauded in awe.
To be continued...